MLB Player News

Andrus is out of the lineup Saturday against the Rays.

Andrus will be afforded a breather as Jurickson Profar steps in at short after the Rangers clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win Friday. The 28-year-old finished September on a five-game hitting streak, pushing his average above .300 and his OPS above .800. He turned in just a .666 OPS last year and never posted a mark above .727 in any of his first seven major league seasons.

Forsythe is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rangers, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Forsythe's batting average has fallen from .281 on Sept. 15 to .266 as of Friday, so manager Kevin Cash decided to hold him out Friday. Juniel Querecuto will get the start at second base in Forsythe's place.

Franklin (hamstring) is starting at DH and hitting sixth Wednesday against the White Sox, MLB.com's Bill Chastain reports.

Franklin wanted to make it back before the end of the season, and he will get his wish Wednesday. The fact that he is at DH and not in the field speaks to the fact that he's probably not at 100 percent health, but Franklin has hit well enough this season (.280/.341/.463) to justify a start at DH, especially relative to his teammates. He has started at six positions this year, with left field representing the only position he has logged double-digit starts (17).

Franklin (hamstring) hopes to return before Sunday's game against the Rangers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franklin is dealing with a sore hamstring but hopes that he'll be ready to play before the Rays' season finale Sunday. If Franklin is able to return, look for him to appear in the Tampa Bay outfield or at their DH spot.

Merrifield got his first career start at first base Sunday and went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI in a win over the Tigers.

He's now hitting .329/.365/.443 in 79 September at-bats, and Merrifield's bat and defensive versatility will likely make him the Royals' top utility player in 2017.

Andrus is not in the lineup Sunday against the A's.

Andrus' fantastic showing at the plate continued Saturday, as he went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. However, he'll have Sunday off as Hanser Alberto gets the nod at shortstop.

Forsythe went 1-for-5 with a solo homer in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Red Sox.

The veteran made things momentarily interesting against closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth with a 362-foot solo shot, his 20th round-tripper of the season. It marks the first time Forsythe has reached the milestone in his career and comes on the heels of his previous best of 17 homers he posted last season. The 29-year-old's season line now stands at a solid .274/.344/.464.

Andrus went 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run homers in Saturday's 5-0 victory over the A's.

The veteran shortstop enjoyed a rare power surge, almost single-handedly defeating the A's in the process. He blasted a 408-foot shot in the second to bring home Jared Hoying and then provided a 414-foot encore in the sixth that plated Ryan Rua. The 28-year-old now has four homers and 12 RBI in September, with the former serving as his best monthly figure in that category this season. Saturday's banner performance brought Andrus' season line to a solid .299/.359/.438, and his 68 RBI are a new career high.

Franklin (hamstring) will serve as the designated hitter and bat sixth Saturday against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

As of Tuesday, Franklin was said to be eyeing a return during the final weekend of the regular season, but evidently he's progressed quicker than expected. Franklin has hit .295/.363/.508 against right-handed pitching this season and was playing regularly between shortstop, second base, left field and first base before going down with the hamstring injury.

Forsythe went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

After tallying only a single in his previous nine at-bats, Forsythe bounced back with his seventh multi-hit effort of September. The veteran is closing out the season in fine fashion, with a .313/.403/.463 line in 67 at-bats this month.